Exploring the Curriculum Dimensions of Theories-Based Adult Education - A Sample Course of Southeast Anatolian Region

As a result of social change over the past 20 years, there has been an economy-induced population movement in Turkey from eastern locales and rural areas to western regions and city centres. The effects of this domestic migration exemplify the problems of "integration faced by a migrating population". In Turkey the role of Public Education Centres is primarily to provide pre-vocational training to adult learners. The aim of this research is focused upon the following five research questions: a) What are the motivating factors for adults attending courses? b) Are the syllabi consistent with contemporary adult education theories? c) Which media are being used in the courses? d) Are adult learners being taken on excursions outside of the classroom to workshops and factories? e) What methods exist for measuring learning outcomes? The researchers developed a questionnaire to collect data. The questionnaire was composed within a framework of questions to provide insight to the following: i) Characteristics of adult learners, ii) The constructivism principles used in adult education, iii) Teaching techniques suitable for adults, and iv) Motivations behind course enrollment of adult learners. The content validity of the questionnaire was provided by expert opinions. Students attending Turkey-Mersin Public Education Centres between 2007-2008 were chosen as the subject population, with the questionnaires being distributed to 60 adult learners in this research. The findings can be summarized by the following: In the study it was found that students within the same course possessed educational backgrounds ranging from university graduates to those who had never attended a day of school in their lives. The motives behind course attendance exhibits a diversity of viewpoints among the adult learners. Most of the learners stated that they were learning the subject material for the first time. [A part of this study was presented at the 10th International Conference titled "Further Education in the Balkan Countries" (Selcuk University, Konya, Oct 23-26, 2008).] (Contains 8 tables and 1 footnote.)